Lead to Disrupt by Kumar Parakala Wins Two Categories at the 2025 International Impact Book Awards

The book's recognition marks a milestone in its growing international reach among leadership and governance audiences.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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Lead to Disrupt by global executive and USA Today bestselling author, Kumar Parakala, has been recognized with two honors at the 2025 International Impact Book Awards, earning distinctions in the Self-Help - Self-Improvement category and the Inspirational - Motivational Narratives category. The awards recognize the book's growing impact among CEOs, board directors, founders, and senior executives confronting a world defined by AI and GenAI acceleration, geopolitical instability, workforce redefinition, climate pressure, mental-health strain, and sustained volatility.

Why it matters

The book reframes AI, automation, and digital acceleration as leadership and governance imperatives, advocating a leadership philosophy that integrates commercial discipline with empathy, ethical conduct, accountability, and long-term stewardship. As enterprises confront the convergence of AI-driven transformation, workforce reset, regulatory scrutiny, and geopolitical uncertainty, the book is increasingly regarded as boardroom-relevant reading for leaders focused on building institutions that endure beyond growth cycles.

The details

First released in 2025, Lead to Disrupt is grounded in Parakala's two decades of global operating experience, including senior leadership roles at KPMG, the founding and scaling of global enterprises, and leading organizations through pandemic disruption, market shocks, remote-work transformation, and large-scale cultural change. Central to the book is a rejection of the false trade-off between results and humanity, advocating a leadership framework that aligns with evolving expectations around stakeholder responsibility, ESG, and sustainable institutional growth.

  • Lead to Disrupt was first released in 2025.
  • The book was recognized at the 2025 International Impact Book Awards.

The players

Kumar Parakala

A global executive, CEO, and board-level leader with more than two decades of experience operating at the intersection of strategy, technology, and enterprise leadership. He is the USA Today bestselling author of Lead to Disrupt.

Nim Stant

The CEO of the International Impact Book Awards, which recognized Lead to Disrupt.

International Impact Book Awards

An international recognition program for independent and traditionally published authors, evaluating titles across more than 30 fiction and nonfiction categories.

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What they’re saying

“'Lead to Disrupt goes beyond inspiration to confront the real leadership challenges of our time. Kumar Parakala brings lived experience to the conversation – addressing accountability, resilience, and stewardship in an AI-driven world where traditional leadership models are no longer sufficient.'”

— Nim Stant, CEO of the International Impact Book Awards (International Impact Book Awards)

“'Disruptive times demand disruptive leaders. But disruption without stewardship destroys trust. Leadership today is not about surviving chaos – it's about enabling change responsibly, while safeguarding people, culture, and long-term value.'”

— Kumar Parakala (International Impact Book Awards)

The takeaway

Lead to Disrupt is increasingly regarded as boardroom-relevant reading for leaders focused on building institutions that endure beyond growth cycles, as it provides a leadership framework for navigating the convergence of AI-driven transformation, workforce reset, regulatory scrutiny, and geopolitical uncertainty.